OWLS. 153 



before he could reach the end of the bridge in search of a 

 boat, he saw it rise out of the water with a fish in its claws, 

 and convey it to its nest. 



Owls have been noticed for an extraordinary attachment to 

 their young ; whether, however, it exceeds that of other birds 

 or animals may be difficult to say, but they will certainly visit 

 and feed them long after they have been separated from the 

 nest. Some young Owls, which had been so far tamed as to 

 take food from the hand, were observed to lose all their 

 familiarity on being hung out during the night, in consequence 

 of renewed visits from the supposed parent birds, who fed 

 them with as much care and attention as if they had been 

 with them without interruption. 



Another instance in point was witnessed by a Swedish 

 gentleman who resided several years on a farm, near a steep 

 mountain, on the summit of which two Eagle-Owls had built 

 their nest. One day, in the month of July, a young bird, 

 having quitted the nest, was caught by the servants. This 

 bird was, considering the season of the year, well feathered ; 

 but the down appeared here and there between those feathers 

 which had not yet attained their full growth. After it was 

 caught, it was shut in a large hen-coop, when, to his surprise, 

 on the following morning, a fine young Partridge was found 

 lying dead before the door of the coop. It was immediately 

 concluded that this provision had been brought there by the 

 old Owls, which no doubt had been making search in the 

 night-time for their lost young one. And such was, indeed, 

 the fact; for night after night, for fourteen days, was this 

 same mark of attention repeated. The game which the old 

 ones carried to it consisted chiefly of young Partridges, for 

 the most part newly killed, but sometimes a little spoiled. On 

 one occasion, a Moor-fowl was brought, so fresh, that it was 

 actually warm under the wings ; a putrid, stinking lamb was 

 at another time deposited. It was supposed that the spoiled 

 flesh had already been some time in the nest of the old Owls, 

 and that they brought it merely because they had no better 

 provision at the time. The gentleman and his servant watched 



